An experienced natural history and botanical illustrator, Lizzie’s work appears in books and magazines around the world, on postage stamps and mugs.
She lives very happily in Hay on Wye, and works her garden studio surrounded by plants and birds.
Finding out what I’m working on,
follow my blog or find me on instagram.
This week`s blog talks about the illustrations I`ve done for colouring-in books over the years:
https://lizzieharper.co.uk/.../illustrating-colouring-in.../
I love producing line drawings in pen, and on reflection it seems there are lots of projects that have needed them.
From humming birds to snowflakes, butterflies to puffballs, any plant or animal can be a good subject for colouring-in.
#penandink #linedrawing #botanicalillustration #sciart #coloring
This is the Great green bush cricket Tettigonia viridissima, in watercolour.
I`ve seen these insects in the wild, but although large they`re amazingly well camouflaged.
I loved painting the the network of wing veins, and the sweep of the antennae. I only realised they had a thin scarlet line on their thorax and wing when I came to illustrate them.
Drawing up something like a bush cricket requires a lot of reference, they`re built like robots and you need to have plenty of angles so you can understand how the plates and parts interlock and work together.
#greatgreenbushcricket #tettigoniidae #insectart #sciart #naturalscienceillustration
New blog out, it`s on Ginseng. I illustrated this crop plant, and a few others, for The Crop Trust, then decided I wanted to know more about it:
https://lizzieharper.co.uk/2026/03/crop-trust-illustration-ginseng/
#ginseng #botanicalart #botanicalillustration #byhand #sciart naturalscienceillustration
Just been sent a lovely book on landscape painting, with step by step projects published by @quartobooksuk.
Its called "Painting landscapes: Connect to calm through the beauty of watercolour", by @inga.buive
They`ve also sent me an exciting set of brushes to try, made by @fuumuuibrushes_official
I`m yet to try the brushes or one of Inga`s projects, but am looking forward to doing both, not least because I`m rubbish at landscape painting, and need all the advice and posh equipment I can get!
If youre tempted to try the brushes yourself, Fuumuui have offered a 20% off code for my lovely followers: INGA20.
Hope to update this once Ive had the chance to try the brushes.
Ah, the perks of being an illustrator. Freebies! I love it. Thanks Quarto!
Just been sent a lovely book on landscape painting, with step by step projects published by @quartobooksuk.
Its called "Painting landscapes: Connect to calm through the beauty of watercolour", by @inga.buive
They`ve also sent me an exciting set of brushes to try, made by @fuumuuibrushes_official
I`m yet to try the brushes or one of Inga`s projects, but am looking forward to doing both, not least because I`m rubbish at landscape painting, and need all the advice and posh equipment I can get!
If youre tempted to try the brushes yourself, Fuumuui have offered a 20% off code for my lovely followers: INGA20.
Hope to update this once Ive had the chance to try the brushes.
Ah, the perks of being an illustrator. Freebies! I love it. Thanks Quarto!
This is the Polka dot wasp moth Syntomeida epilais, also known as the Oleander moth.
Mates are attracted when the female emits vibrations which are carried through the stems of the plants she sits on.
The yellow caterpillars with their (harmless) long black setae feed voraciously on Oleander and Desert rose. This species is found across the Caribbean and South America.
The illustration was completed for the National Trust of Montserrat, & UKOTCF. It`s used in a colouring book, in a section about patterns in nature.
#polkadotwaspmoth #syntomeida #oleandermoth #sciart #naturalhistoryillustration naturalscienceillustration paintingnature
I illustrated this pair of Antillean crested hummingbirds Orthorhyncus cristatus for Montserrat National Trust and UK Overseas Territories Conservation Forum
They`ve been used in a lovely educational booklet called "Montserrat`s Biodiversity Rainbow", which has an accompanying black and white version for colouring-in.
They`re also on a handout about vertebrae pollinators on the island.
I love seeing my work in context, and I`m really pleased with this project.
Trying to capture the glittery plumage of these beautiful little birds was a challenge, it`s all about trying to get a sharp contrast between the highlights and shadows.
Sometimes I enjoy putting a gentle narrative into my illustrations, in this case it amused me to make sure that the female was utterly oblivious to the male`s exuberant display.
#hummingbird #montserrat #naturalhistoryillustration #sciart #naturalscienceillustration
Here`s another of the illustrations I did of Montserrat wildlife. This is the Green sea turtle, Chelonia mydas.
The pattern of the shell is tough to try and capture. Lots of layers of paint, and treating each scute individually.
We saw two of these beauties when we were snorkelling on our visit to Montserrat last year, they looked so elegant as they swam away into the gloom.
#turtle #seaturtle #naturalscienceillustration #sciart #montserrat
